Multiple labyrinth game

ABSTRACT

A description is made herein with regard to a game composed of one to up to eight peripheral triangular-shaped playing surfaces referred to as the “small labyrinths”. The peripheral playing surfaces are attached to a central module here referred to as a central hub or the “large labyrinth”. This game that can be played by one person or by teams of players requires the use of an appropriately sized spherical entities that traverse channels engraved into or associated with the small labyrinths and the large labyrinth. The objective of the game is for each player to rapidly direct 4 different spherical projectiles towards a depression in the large labyrinth. The first player to attain this objective is the winner. To initiate play, the spherical entity is placed into the start point of the small labyrinth by each player. The sphere is then directed along a channel towards a maze that terminates in a depression located in the large labyrinth.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

3,787,055 July 1972 Kraemer 3,879,039 February 1974 Holden 4,055,341 October 1977 Martinez

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM, LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not applicable.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to (copyright or mask work) protection. The (copyright or mask work) owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all (copyright or mask work) rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

A number of games involving the manipulation of a spherical entity over the surface of a play area have been described in previous patent applications. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,575, moveable mazes are suspended over a play area and these mazes are moved in a manner that prevents a spherical entity from gaining access to holes in the board until a desired hole is reached. A similar concept involving the manipulation of a spherical entity over a surface towards a desired point is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,039. In this invention, the spherical body traverses track members that are mounted upon a fulcrum. Each track member contains a track on which the spherical body is directed towards a container into which it is deposited. A similar idea is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,555, which describes a game that involves the manipulation of a spherical entity along a moveable paddle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,341 describes a related idea in which a player controls the movement of a spherical entity on the playing surface by standing on the board surface and shifting his or her body weight in a manner that directs the spherical entity in a desired direction. A similar idea is outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,824. However, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,824, the inventor incorporated magnetic forces on the playing surface as a means of influencing the direction of motion of the spherical entity.

BRIEF SUMMARY TO THE INVENTION

In essence, the invention described in this patent application shares the same principle as previous related inventions in as far as the requirement to direct a spherical entity over a playing surface to a desired target. This present invention is different in that it offers a more versatile playing surface allowing the interaction of a larger group of players. Also, prior art stated above involves the use of bulky playing surfaces that are not portable whilst the present art described in this patent application is portable and can be transported to different play areas. Furthermore, this present invention offers the players the option to increase the weight of the playing surface by adding easily detachable weights so as to increase the difficulty level and also as a means of performing upper body exercises during a desired playing session. An additional difference from previous art is the increase in difficulty level after each round of play involving the players performing balancing exercises or other tasks as they try to direct their spheres towards the central hub.

The aim of this invention is to provide a game in which a spherical projectile is directed by each player from a playing surface through a maze referred to as an “outer labyrinth” towards a depression in an “inner labyrinth” located in the central hub. Each player aims to be the first to deposit the spherical projectile in the inner labyrinth. Each play is initiated by placing a spherical projectile onto the starting point located in the outer labyrinth and directing the spherical entity towards the central hub using range of up, down, sideways and circular motions that project the ball away from the player and through the concentric circles of each play area, through the connecting arm and into the inner labyrinth. The same process is repeated to direct the spherical entity through the inner labyrinth and into the central depression.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a top plan representation of the entire playing surface showing the peripheral individual playing surfaces and associated outer labyrinths, linked to the central hub with inner playing surface by the labyrinth conduit.

FIG. 2 shows a top plan representation of the peripheral playing surface (outer labyrinth) manifold/support on which the spherical mazes are associated.

FIG. 3 shows a top plan representation of a peripheral playing surface (outer labyrinth) with tri-spheres, connector tunnels and associated outer and inner receptacles.

FIG. 4 shows a top plan representation of the labyrinth conduit.

FIG. 5 a shows a top plan representation of the central hub.

FIG. 5 b shows a top plan representation of the central hub with associated labyrinth conduit enclaves.

FIG. 5 c shows a top plan representation of the central hub with associated central receptacle.

FIG. 5 d shows a top plan representation of the central hub with associated inner playing surface (inner labyrinth) with tri-spheres and connector tunnels.

FIG. 6 shows a top plan representation of the inner playing surface (inner labyrinth) with tri-spheres, connector tunnels, associated minor receptacles and master receptacle.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-section of a peripheral playing surface showing the tri-sphere canals, connector tunnels and minor receptacles. Also shown are the associated magnets (p), weight (q) and weight magnets (r).

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-section of a central playing surface showing the tri-sphere canals, connector tunnels and minor receptacles.

FIG. 1 is an aerial view of the game showing all playing surfaces and all eight peripheral playing surfaces with associated small labyrinth mazes (I-VIII), the link tunnels (a-h) linking the peripheral playing surfaces to the central hub containing the central playing surface (j) via a connecting tunnel nodule (i). Each of the playing surfaces represented shows the oval mazes through which the spherical entity must traverse towards differently placed receptacles each with a unique reward to be awarded to the player as desired by the players.

FIG. 2 is an aerial representation of an outline of one peripheral playing surface support module (k). The peripheral playing surface support module supports the associated small labyrinth maze and linked receptacles. It is to the playing support module that the link tunnel to the central playing hub is attached to by a joint that allows 360° rotation.

FIG. 3 is an aerial view of one small labyrinth maze showing the interlinked outer (3), middle (5) and inner (6) mazes with their associated intra-maze links (4) and (7) respectively. Also displayed is the start point (1) that is linked to the outer maze by the start point-outer maze link (2). The small labyrinth central receptacle (8) is also shown.

FIG. 4 is an aerial view of one link tunnel (9).

FIG. 5 a-5 d shows a series of aerial views of the central hub (l), central hub with associated link tunnel nodules (m) that link the peripheral playing surface to the central hub, central hub with the main labyrinth receptacle (n) and the central hub with the main labyrinth maze (o).

FIG. 6 is an aerial view of the main labyrinth maze showing the interlinked outer (15), middle (18), and inner (20) mazes with their associated intra-maze links (16), (17) and (19) respectively. Also displayed are the minor receptacles (24) and (26) and their associated feeder links (23) and (25) respectively. The main receptacle feeder link (21) is also shown leading off from the inner maze (20) to the main receptacle (22).

FIG. 7 shows a vertical cross-section of one peripheral playing surface showing the interlinked outer (3), middle (5) and inner (6) mazes with their associated intra-maze links (4) and (7) respectively. Also displayed is the start point (1) that is linked to the outer maze by the start point-outer maze link (2). The small labyrinth central receptacle (8) is also shown. Also shown are the associated magnets (p), weight (q) and weight magnets (r).

FIG. 8 shows a vertical cross-section of one peripheral surface showing the main labyrinth maze with the interlinked outer (15), middle (18), and inner (20) mazes with their associated intra-maze links (16), (17) and (19) respectively. Also displayed are the minor receptacles (24) and (26) and their associated feeder links (23) and (25) respectively. The main receptacle feeder link (21) is also shown leading off from the inner maze (20) to the main receptacle (22).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The game is played by one or more players standing in a circle holding the peripheral playing surfaces and facing the central hub. Play of game is initiated by all players simultaneously placing the spherical entities into their respective start points (FIG. 3; 1) located in the labyrinth of each peripheral playing surface. Each player then holds the sides of each peripheral playing surface with both hands and directs the spherical entity from the start point through the start point-outer maze link (FIG. 3; 2) to the outer maze (FIG. 3; 3) using up-down, left-right and circular motions as required. Similar motions are performed to direct the spherical entity away from the outer maze (FIG. 3; 3) through the outer-middle maze intra-maze link (FIG. 3; 4) towards the middle maze (FIG. 3; 5) and away from the middle maze (FIG. 3; 5) towards the inner maze (FIG. 3; 6) via the middle-inner maze intra-maze link (FIG. 3; 7). The spherical entity is then directed towards the small-crop-circle central receptacle (FIG. 3; 8) using the same movements described.

The spherical entity is then able to access the link tunnel (FIG. 4; 9) which links the peripheral playing surface to the central hub (FIG. 5 a; l) via a link tunnel nodule (FIG. 5 b; m) that affords a joint with a linking tunnel. The spherical entity accesses the outer maze (FIG. 6; 15) of the main labyrinth and travels towards and into the middle maze (FIG. 6; 18) via outer-middle maze intra-maze link (FIG. 6; 16). The player can then direct the spherical entity towards the inner maze via the middle-inner maze intra-maze link (FIG. 6; 19). Stage one of the game can then completed, by directing the spherical entity towards the main receptacle (FIG. 6; 22) via the main receptacle feeder link (FIG. 6; 21). If desired, the players can direct their spherical entities towards the minor receptacles (FIG. 6; 24) and (FIG. 6; 26) via their associated feeder links (FIG. 6; 23) and (FIG. 6; 25) respectively.

Successfully directing the spherical entity towards the main receptacle (FIG. 6; 22) by any one player qualifies that player to insert another spherical entity from the suit of 4 at the start point (FIG. 3; 1) to initiate stage two. It also instantly raises the difficulty level of the game by requiring all players to play with one leg raised off the ground. The first two players to access the main receptacle (FIG. 6; 22) also have the opportunity to set a task of their liking to any two other players so as to increase the difficulty level and slow the progress of these opponents. These tasks may include using only one hand or only two fingers to control the peripheral playing surface. An additional task may also include requiring the opposing player to increase the weight of their playing surface by attaching a weight (FIG. 7; q) to the peripheral playing surface (FIG. 7) with the aid of magnets (FIG. 7; p and r). If players are playing as a team, they can co-operate using such tasks to slow the progress of the opposing team. If any one player that has received a task is able to access any one of the minor receptacles (FIG. 6; 24) or (FIG. 6; 26), they have an opportunity to undo one task. Each minor receptacle affords a player under task to undo one task. The game is completed when one player is able to direct all four spherical entities in their suit of four to the main receptacle. Players can develop rules that fit their playing interests or can use tasks outlined in instruction card provided along with the game. 

1. A play unit comprised of multiple play areas that are flat surfaces that can have variable shapes, each containing a maze engraved or attached to the flat surface by appropriate means. Each play area can be moved by a player's hand. The play area is manipulated by holding the playing surface and moving the flat surface in variable directions as desired by the player. All the play areas being attached to a unit called a central hub by a joint that can allow movement of the play surface in variable directions. A spherical playing piece is directed through the maze on the playing surface towards a depression located in the central hub.
 2. The invention as claimed in claim 1 whereby the play unit is composed of a single play area as described in claim
 1. The single play area not being associated with other play areas by attachment to a unit referred to as a central hub. The spherical entity being directed towards a depression in the centre of the playing surface rather than to a depression in a central hub.
 3. The invention as claimed in claims 1 and 2 whereby the play unit is comprised of play area(s) with multiple playing surfaces. 